[Jittananto]

 The following link shows the faults outside Pātimokkha that bhikkhus are required to follow.

Offense outside Pātimokkha

There are no thullaccaya among the 227 rules of the pātimokkha. Therefore these were not taught separately. As with many other aspects, the thullaccayas were established by the Buddha as transgressions whose gravity is just lesser than that of the pārājikas and the saṃghādisesas.

Essentially, the thullaccayas are preliminary offences that a bhikkhu may commit before a pārājika or a saṃghādisesa.

The thullaccayas preliminary to the pārājikas

• According to the pārājika 1, the bhikkhu who has a sexual relation by means of the mouth, the anus or the genitals of a corpse commits a thullaccaya. Similarly, by introducing his sex organ in one of the following: the sex organ of a female living being where this is narrower than that of a cat or a chicken; in the eye orifice, the nostrils or the ear of a human being; in the corpse of a being through an opening made with a knife or into a fold; in the nose of the corpse from an elephant, horse, buffalo, cow, etc. He commits also a thullaccaya by superficially touching the genitals of a female living being with his without penetration; by giving oral caresses to a woman’s sex organ with lustful desire; by having his sex caressed by the mouth or tongue of a woman without the sex entering her mouth.

Remarks: Some thullaccayas are inseparable from other offences, such as the saṃghādisesas.

• A bhikkhu who steals an object of a value equivalent to at least a quarter of the currency used in the region and time of the Buddha commits the pārājika 2. If the value of the object is between one-twentieth and one-quarter of this currency, he commits a thullaccaya. Taking by his own authority an object belonging to the saṃgha to give to someone else, a bhikkhu commits a thullaccaya.
• A bhikkhu who kills someone commits the pārājika 3. If he injures someone without killing, he commits a thullaccaya.
• A bhikkhu who pretends to have experienced jhāna attainments or the ariyā state without having experienced these commits the pārājika 4. However, if the person whom the bhikkhu is addressing does not know the meaning of these words, he commits a thullaccaya.

The thullaccayas preliminary to saṃghādisesas

• If a bhikkhu voluntarily provokes an ejaculation, he commits the saṃghādisesa 1. If he masturbates without ejaculation, he commits a thullaccaya.
• If a bhikkhu touches a woman or her hair with a feeling of pleasure, he commits the saṃghādisesa 2. If he touches the dress or an ornament (flower on the hair, hat, etc.) worn by a woman, he commits a thullaccaya.
• If, with a lustful state of mind, a bhikkhu talks about a woman’s or a man’s sex, or sexual relations with a woman, he commits the saṃghādisesa 3. If, with a lustful state of mind, he talks with a woman of anything concerning parts a woman’s body between the knees and the shoulders, excluding the genitals, he commits a thullaccaya.
• If a bhikkhu addresses a woman with the purpose of issuing an invitation to a sexual relation, he commits the saṃghādisesa 4. If he addresses an androgyne with the purpose of issuing an invitation to a sexual relation, he commits a thullaccaya.
• If a bhikkhu agrees to act as a go-between, fetching messages, carrying these messages and delivering these messages for the purpose of joining together a man and a woman, he commits the saṃghādisesa 5. If only two of these three factors occur jointly, he commits a thullaccaya.

After the saṃghādisesa 10; 11; 12 and 13, when, within the sīmā, the saṃgha has proceeded to two readings of the kammavācā, if the guilty bhikkhu does not agree to abandon his erroneous point of view, he commits a thullaccaya. If he still refuses to reject his point of view at the end of the third reading, he commits the saṃghādisesa, and from this moment the thullaccaya is simultaneously annulled.

The other thullaccayas

• There are also thullaccaya that are not linked to the pārājika or to the saṃghādisesa. If a bhikkhu eats human flesh, wears the robe of a non-Buddhist sect in wood bark, a robe made out of owl feathers or from a cloth made with human hairs, or if he cuts his sexual organ, he commits a thullaccaya.

The dukkaṭas and the dubbhāsitas

Any transgression committed by a bhikkhu that is the object of a sekhiya but not the object of a pātimokkha rule is a dukkaṭa or a dubbhāsita. A dukkaṭa is a minor offence caused by an unskilful action, whereas a dubbhāsita is a minor offence due to unskilful speech.

These offences are very numerous. There is no list detailing them in precise order. The passages that specify the dukkaṭas and dubbhāsitas are dispersed throughout the Vinaya texts. Notably, many of them are explained within the pātimokkha itself.

Some examples of dukkaṭas and dubbhāsitas

• A bhikkhu who eats at the same table as a layperson (or a sāmaṇera), commits a dukkaṭa.
• A bhikkhu who places his bowl on a wall or the ground (without support), commits a dukkaṭa.
• A bhikkhu who is transported by an animal or on a bicycle commits a dukkaṭa.
• A bhikkhu wearing stained garments commits a dukkaṭa.
• A bhikkhu who uses the toilet without previously lifting his obe commits a dukkaṭa.
• A bhikkhu who engages in or encourages a futile conversation commits a dubbhāsita.
• A bhikkhu who utters a vulgar word commits a dubbhāsita.

1 user thanked author for this post.

angwllm

[Jittananto]

Hi Saurabh! It is possible to attain any magga phala at the time of death. If you are destined to attain Nibbāna and you have not committed any bad anantariya kamma, it is inevitable that you will be an ariya.

Paṭhamasaraṇānisakkasutta

Mahānāma, Sarakāni the Sakyan undertook the training at the time of his death.”

Saraṇāni, mahānāma, sakko maraṇakāle sikkhaṁ samādiyī”ti.

• Sarakāni became a sotāpanna at the time of death.

[Jittananto]

There is King Pasenadi of Kosala who heard the voices of 4 beings trapped in a niraya, in his dreams. These 4 beings were humans at the time of Lord Buddha Kassapa. He was not able to fully understand what they were saying due to their agonies, however, he heard four Pali syllables and asked Lord Buddha for an explanation.Annatarapurisa Vatthu

Bāla Vagga V. 1. The King and the Poor Man with a Beautiful Wife Aññatarapurisavatthu (60)

The four syllables : ‘Du, Sa, Na, So.’

[Jittananto]

The following quote comes from lawsofthenature.com

Q. What language do they speak in heavens and hells?A. Pali, the universal language, spoken by every past Buddha and will speak by every future Buddha.

• I don’t know if there is a solid proof to this statement.

[Jittananto]

This is simply Kamma Vipāka, Yash. A Lord Buddha is not exempt from the consequences of the bad deeds he committed in past lives.

2 users thanked author for this post.

Yash RS, Waisaka

[Jittananto]

Hello Waisaka 😁! These are things we don’t know. Maybe (Y not) is not at the end of his bhava or he still has several human jati (births) left. I believe that this kind of action will prevent fatal diseases in a future life. Kamma vipāka will give results sooner or later. I think that’s what my teacher meant.

•  See the story of Ven Arahant Bākula Mahāthera“Etadaggaṃ bhikkhave mama sāvakānaṃ bhikkhūnaṃ appābādhānaṃ yadidaṃ Bākulo.”  “Bhikkhus, among My bhikkhu-disciples who enjoy good health, who are free from disease, Bhikkhu Bākula is the foremost (etadagga).”
• He remained an arahant for 80 years before entering parinibbānna at the age of 160. He said he never used any medicine in his life and he had imperturbable health!! This is an example of a good Kamma Vipāka.

2 users thanked author for this post.

Waisaka, Yash RS

[Jittananto]

 Y not, I remember a teaching that my teacher monk told us in Thailand. He says that when we are in situations of illness and disaster we should turn to the Dhamma and the practice of Dana. For example, if you have an illness, you must make donations to the sick, to hospitals and to research against this illness. If you are suffering from a natural disaster, you should donate to organizations that help people recover from these disasters. Of course, one must prioritize the giving of Dhamma.

[Jittananto]

I’m really sorry to hear that, Y not. I hope you recover and at least aren’t in too much pain🙏🏿. Thank you very much for your message. The nature of this body is unpredictable and uncontrollable. I am sure that if anything happens to you, you will have accumulated enough Kusulas to continue in magga phala or even reach Parinibbāna. I wish you to lead a happy life and quickly achieve Nibbāna the end of all suffering. Sadhu Sadhu Sadhu🙏🏿🌸☸️☸️☸️

4 users thanked author for this post.

pathfinder, Waisaka, dosakkhayo, Yash RS

[Jittananto]

Some lay people or bhikkhus choose to become Buddhist yogis or ascetics. They wear robes of other colors to distinguish them from the bhikkhus. They have bowls and they live on alms and offerings given to them by people. Their code of conduct is Dasa Sīla(10 precepts). Some of them practice the dhutaṅgas. They let their hair grow or they shave their heads. They choose to live this way because the life of a bhikkhu has a lot of constraints (227 rules) and the life of a layman with 5 or 8 precepts is not enough for them. The creator of the site Dhammadana.org (my teacher) is this type of person. He was initially a bhikkhu but decided to leave the sangha to adopt this lifestyle. Nowadays, they are found more in Thailand and Burma.

• In Sri Lanka, there are also the Dasa Sīla Mata (Sinhala: දස සිල් මාතා ) who follow the 10 precepts. In other Theravada countries, they have other names.

[Jittananto]

The samanera, or novices, are monks in training, typically under the age of 20 and have not yet received full ordination. At the age of 20, they are eligible to become a bhikkhu with full ordination, although some may choose to remain as samaneras even after turning 20. This choice is personal and is often seen as a way for individuals with a proud or arrogant temperament to improve themselves. A samanera is required to obey the bhikkhus and heed their advice.

They have a pātimokkha similar to that of the bhikkhus, consisting of the 10 basic precepts and the 75 sekhiyas. This means that their pātimokkha is comprised of 85 rules. If a novice breaks the first 5 precepts out of the 10, he loses his status until he resumes his vows with a fully ordained bhikkhu. If he breaks the other 5, he is subject to punishment, which often involves additional chores. It’s important to note that Lord Buddha forbade physical punishment.

Even if they are subordinate to the bhikkhus, they are part of the Sangha and deserve homage and offerings. They lead a life conducive to the development of Dhamma. They deserve to be honoured by us lay people, regardless of their age. Even if a samenera is 5 years old we must join hands and treat them as if they were bhikkhus. We do not know the spiritual level of others. Maybe this 7-year-old samanera has developed all the jhanas, arupavacara samapatti, and iddhis and reached a stage of magga phala. Disrespecting them can have devastating kammic consequences. Just like the bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis, they are beings who deserve our greatest hommage. By paying homage and humbly listening to the advice of a samanera, it is possible to achieve Nibbāna like the Venerable Pothila.

• See also the story of the Venerable novices Samkicca samenera, Sumana samanera, Pandita samanera.They all became arahants.

Here are the 10 basic precepts (Dasa Sīla) of all bhikkhus and bhikkhunis. Some lay people choose to observe them.

The Ten Precepts (Dasa Sīla) :

1. Panatipata veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami

I undertake the precept to refrain from destroying living creatures.

2. Adinnadana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami

I undertake the precept to refrain from taking that which is not given.

3. Abrahmacariya veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami

I undertake the precept to refrain from all sexual activity.

4. Musavada veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami

I undertake the precept to refrain from incorrect speech.

5. Suramerayamajja pamadatthana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami

I undertake the precept to refrain from intoxicating drinks and drugs which lead to carelessness. (It’s not just that. See #8 of The Five Precepts – What the Buddha Meant by Them.)

6. Vikalabhojana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami

I undertake the precept to refrain from eating at the forbidden time (i.e., afternoon).

7. Nacca-gita-vadita-visuka-dassana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami

I undertake the precept to refrain from dancing, singing, music, going to see entertainments.

8.Mala-gandha-vilepana-dharana-mandana-vibhusanatthana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami

I undertake the precept to refrain from wearing garlands, using perfumes, and beautifying the body with cosmetics.

9. Uccasayana-mahasayana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami

I undertake the precept to refrain from lying on a high or luxurious sleeping place.

10. Jatarupa-rajata-patiggahana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami

I undertake the precept to refrain from accepting gold and silver (money).

• See the 75 Sekhiya. (Please at the top right of the site page you will see arrows. Click on the one on the right to see the second part. The first page stops at 40 Sekhiya and the second page continues from Sekhiya 41 to 75.)
• See Who is a novice?

[Jittananto]

Thank you all for your responses 🙏🏿.

[Jittananto]

We must continue to listen further. He specified that the Dhamma must be learned from an ariya. One must listen to the correct Dhamma. It is impossible to learn the Dhamma alone without learning it from an ariya. Personally, I agree with him. The perfect example is an arupa brahma. It is impossible for any ariya, even a Lord Buddha to teach them the Dhamma. They don’t have the 5 senses necessary to learn it. Of course, an ariya who is reborn in arupa loka will attain Nibbāna. The reason is that he learned the Dhamma before losing these 5 senses. I believe that a person who learned the Dhamma before becoming deaf can realize Nibbāna. However, a person who is born deaf will have some disability. Once again this is my personal opinion.

[Jittananto]

There is a context for many rules. For example, there is a rule which prohibits bhikkhunis from residing outside towns and villages. The reason is the rape of the Venerable Arahant Theri Uppalavanna(She is one of the female chief disciples of Lord Buddha. Her rapist fell straight into the nirayas. She is an arahant so she was not afraid, she was perfectly equanimous and understands that it is a kammic debt. Arahants feel nothing on the mental level. Of course, she must have felt the physical pain of the rape.Dhammapada Verse 69 Uppalavannattheri Vatthu

“The Buddha next sent for King Pasenadi of Kosala and told him about the dangers that bhikkhunis living in forests had to face from irresponsible persons obsessed with sex. The king then promised to build monasteries for bhikkhunis only in towns or close to the towns.”

• There are dhutaṅgas which are forbidden to bhikkhunis because of the contradiction with their pātimokkha. For example, residing in forests and cemeteries 
• There is an excellent Buddhist author who has written books on the pātimokkha of Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis. His name is Môhan Wijayaratna. He is a Sri Lankan French anthropologist specializing in Buddhism. I have his book on the background of the establishment of the order of Bhikkhunis. 

Here his books

The Buddhist Monk according to the Theravada texts, Éditions du Cerf, 1983, Éditions Lis, 2016.

Buddhist Nuns, Editions du Cerf, 1991, Editions Lis, 2016.

• You can find his books online in pdf version. You can also find them on Amazon and other sites.

[Jittananto]

• The following links talk about the rules of Bhikkhunis Pātimokkha. The Bhikkhunis (Buddhist nuns) have 84 rules more than their male counterparts. Which comes to 311.

Bhikkhunīpātimokkhapāḷi

The Bhikkhunīs’ Code of Discipline

• Bhikkhunis have a total of 8 pārājika. As a reminder, pārājika are faults which lead to expulsion for life from the Sangha. The 4 Pārājikas of Bhikkhus are the same as those of Bhikkhunis. Here are the other 4 that are specific to Bhikkhunis only.

5. Should any bhikkhunī, lusting, consent to a lusting man’s rubbing, rubbing up against, taking hold of, touching, or fondling (her) below the collar-bone and above the circle of the knees, she also is defeated and no longer in affiliation for being “one above the circle of the knees.” [See Bhikkhus’ Saṅghādisesa 2]

6. Should any bhikkhunī, knowing that (another) bhikkhunī has fallen into an act (entailing) defeat, neither accuse her herself nor inform the group, and then — whether she (the other bhikkhunī) is still alive or has died, has been expelled or gone over to another sect — she (this bhikkhunī) should say, “Even before, ladies, I knew of this bhikkhunī that ‘This sister is of such-and-such a sort,’ and I didn’t accuse her myself nor did I inform the group,” then she also is defeated and no longer in affiliation for being “one who concealed a fault.” [See Bhikkhus’ Pācittiya 64]

7. Should any bhikkhunī follow a bhikkhu who has been suspended by a united Community (of bhikkhus) in line with the Dhamma, in line with the Vinaya, in line with the teacher’s instructions, and who is disrespectful, has not made amends, has broken off his friendship (with the bhikkhus), the bhikkhunīs are to admonish her thus: “Lady, that bhikkhu has been suspended by a united Community in line with the Dhamma, in line with the Vinaya, in line with the teacher’s instructions. He is disrespectful, he has not made amends, he has broken off his friendship. Do not follow him, lady.” And should that bhikkhunī, thus admonished by the bhikkhunīs, persist as before, the bhikkhunīs are to rebuke her up to three times for the sake of relinquishing that. If while being rebuked up to three times she relinquishes that, that is good. If she does not relinquish that, then she also is defeated and no longer in affiliation for being “a follower of a suspended (bhikkhuī).”

8. Should any bhikkhunī, lusting, consent to a lusting man’s taking hold of her hand or touching the edge of her outer robe, or should she stand with him or converse with him or go to a rendezvous with him, or should she consent to his approaching her, or should she enter a hidden place with him, or should she dispose her body to him — (any of these) for the purpose of that unrighteous act (Comm: physical contact) — then she also is defeated and no longer in affiliation for “(any of) eight grounds.” 

• There’s an interesting discussion on this. Why are there more rules for bhikkhunis than for bhikkhus?
• The following quote is from a bhikkhunis on the discussion forum.

“I think the whole thread is based on a misunderstanding on the evolution of the ancient texts. The patimokkhas are not the only collections of rules, we have thousands more rules in the khandhakas.

Historically, the Buddha laid down rules in the patimokkhas, but after he entered Nibbana, more rules needed to be made, as new situations came up, and the sangha spread to new locations with different climates and local customs. For the bhikkhus, the patimokkha was closed quite early and additional rules were collected in the khandhakas. For the bhikkhunis, additional rules were added to their patimokkha for centuries after the Buddha’s passing, until eventually, it became too long. From then on, more rules were put into the bhikkhuni khandhaka. Therefore, there’s a large discrepancy in size of the patimokkhas.

There are also other factors, such as decisions on how to organize the texts made by the monks at the first council.

Vinaya is a complex matter and best discussed with a knowledgeable monastic face-to-face. If you ask Vinaya questions on an online forum, there are going to be a lot of incorrect answers.”

• Vinaya is extremely complex. This is why there is even a disciple specialized in this subject. Venerable Arahant Upali was the best in explaining the Vinaya after Lord Buddha. “Monks, among my disciple monks who strictly live by the Vinaya Rules, monk Upāli is the foremost (Etadagga).”

[Jittananto]

Devadatta used some dhutaṅgas to create a schism in the Sangha. He proposed to Lord Buddha to make some of these practices obligatory. Of course, Lord Buddha refused and said that it is up to each person to decide whether they want to follow them or not. See Saṅghabhedakakkhandhaka

The Buddha replied, “No, Devadatta.

“Alaṁ, devadatta.

Those who wish may stay in the wilderness and those who wish may live near inhabited areas.

Yo icchati, āraññiko hotu; yo icchati, gāmante viharatu.

Those who wish may eat only almsfood and those who wish may accept invitations.

Yo icchati, piṇḍapātiko hotu; yo icchati, nimantanaṁ sādiyatu.

Those who wish may wear rag-robes and those who wish may accept robe-cloth from householders.

Yo icchati, paṁsukūliko hotu; yo icchati, gahapaticīvaraṁ sādiyatu.

I have allowed the foot of a tree as resting place for eight months of the year,

Aṭṭhamāse kho mayā, devadatta, rukkhamūlasenāsanaṁ anuññātaṁ;

• See the Dhutaṅga #8,3,1,9 on my post above this reply.

I highly recommend reading this sutta, as it discusses Devadatta’s wrongful actions. The sutta is particularly interesting because it delves into Sangha Bheda, which is one of the 5 anantariya kamma. It’s worth noting that lay people, nuns (bhikkhunis), and novices are unable to cause Sangha Bheda, even if they attempt to do so.

A nun cannot cause a schism in the Sangha, even if she makes an effort to do so. A trainee nun,

Na kho, upāli, bhikkhunī saṅghaṁ bhindati, api ca bhedāya parakkamati, na sikkhamānā saṅghaṁ bhindati …pe…

a novice monk, a novice nun, a male lay follower, or a female lay follower cannot cause a schism in the Sangha, even if she makes an effort to do so.

na sāmaṇero saṅghaṁ bhindati, na sāmaṇerī saṅghaṁ bhindati, na upāsako saṅghaṁ bhindati, na upāsikā saṅghaṁ bhindati, api ca bhedāya parakkamati.

• Lord Buddha said that there are cases where a sangha bheda does not lead to rebirth in nirayas. The key is intention whether wholesome or unwholesome.

What sort of person who causes a schism in the Sangha isn’t irredeemably destined to an eon in hell?”

“Katamo pana, bhante, saṅghabhedako na āpāyiko, na nerayiko, na kappaṭṭho, na atekiccho”ti?

“In this case, a monk proclaims what’s contrary to the Teaching as being in accordance with it.

“Idhupāli, bhikkhu adhammaṁ dhammoti dīpeti.

He has the view that what he says is legitimate and the view that the schism is legitimate. He doesn’t misrepresent his view of what’s true, his belief of what’s true, his acceptance of what’s true, or his sentiment of what’s true. He makes a proclamation and distributes ballots, saying,

Tasmiṁ dhammadiṭṭhi, bhede dhammadiṭṭhi, avinidhāya diṭṭhiṁ, avinidhāya khantiṁ, avinidhāya ruciṁ, avinidhāya bhāvaṁ, anussāveti, salākaṁ gāheti—

‘This is the Teaching, this is the Monastic Law, this is the Teacher’s instruction; take this, approve of this.’

‘ayaṁ dhammo, ayaṁ vinayo, idaṁ satthusāsanaṁ, imaṁ gaṇhatha, imaṁ rocethā’ti.

When such a person causes a schism in the Sangha, he’s not irredeemably destined to an eon in hell.

Ayampi kho, upāli, saṅghabhedako na āpāyiko, na nerayiko, na kappaṭṭho, na atekiccho.

• All this information is in the same sutta Saṅghabhedakakkhandhaka.

 

3 users thanked author for this post.

Yash RS, Yash RS, pathfinder

[Author]

Posts